(1) The writer and the recipient.
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer,
a. Paul, a prisoner: This brief letter was written by Paul during his Roman imprisonment described in Acts 28:30-31. There are some that believe he wrote it from time of imprisonment in Ephesus, but this is an unlikely possibility.
b. A prisoner of Christ Jesus: As always, Paul did not consider himself a prisoner of Rome, of circumstances, or of the religious leaders who started his legal troubles (Acts 23-24). Paul was a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
i. “They were not shackles which self had riveted, but a chain with which Christ had invested him; thus they were a badge of office.” (Lightfoot, cited by Oesterley)
c. To Philemon our beloved friend: Paul wrote to Philemon, a Christian brother living in Colosse. This is the only place in the New Testament where Philemon is mentioned by name, but we do know that he was a beloved friend to Paul.
i. Paul’s friendship with Philemon is shown by something significantly missing in his greeting. Of the 13 letters Paul wrote to churches or individuals, in 9 of them he called himself an apostle in the opening verse. In this letter (along with Philippians and 1 and 2 Thessalonians), Paul appealed to his reader more as a friend and less an apostle.
2. (2-3) Greetings to the household of Philemon.
To the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
a. To the beloved Apphia: Apphia was probably the wife of Philemon, and Archippus was probably his son. This address to family members is unique among the letters of Paul, but it makes sense considering the content of the letter to Philemon. In this letter Paul will appeal to Philemon regarding a runaway slave who has met Jesus and found refuge with Paul. In the customs of that day, Philemon’s wife Apphia was the supervisor of the slaves in the household, so the letter concerned her also.
i. Regarding the escaped slave, “She is as much a party to the decision as her husband, because according to the custom of the time, she had day-to-day responsibility for the slaves.” (Rupprecht)
b. To the church in your house: This means that the church – or a portion of the church – in Colosse met in the house of Philemon. The earliest Christians had no property of their own for church buildings. The Jews had their synagogues, but Christians met in the homes of their members. The Christians of a city would be gathered into different “house churches” with a city “bishop” overseeing the different house churches. House churches are also mentioned in Romans 16:5 and Colossians 4:15.
i. “Up to the third century we have no certain evidence of the existence of church buildings for the purpose of worship; all references point to private houses for this. In Rome several of the oldest churches appear to have been built on the sites of houses used for Christian worship.” (Oesterley)
ii. Spurgeon points out that apparently, Philemon had a church that met in his house. This suggests to believers that their homes should also be a church, and that each home can have the characteristics of a healthy church:
· Consisting of converted, saved people.
· Worshipping together.
· Together having a bond of unity.
· Supplied with oversight.
· Teaching always present.
· With a heart to minister to those on the outside.
c. Grace to you and peace: Paul gave his customary greeting of grace and peace, found in each one of his letters. However, this greeting was not directed towards an entire congregation, but to Philemon as an individual. This makes the letter unique among Paul’s writings.
i. The other Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) are also written first to individuals, but the character of their content suggests that they were intended to be shared with the entire congregation. Philemon really is a personal note written by Paul to one man.
ii. “It is only one sample of numberless letters which must have been written to his many friends and disciples by one of St Paul’s eager temperament and warm affections, in the course of a long and chequered life.” (Lightfoot)
3. (4-7) Paul’s thanks to God for Philemon.
I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.
a. I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers: Paul prayed often for Philemon, and he prayed with thanksgiving to God. Philemon had been such a blessing to Paul that he prayed often and gratefully for him.
i. In Paul’s letters, four times he says he makes mention for people: To the Romans (Romans 1:9), to the Ephesians (Ephesians 1:16), to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 1:2), and here at Philemon 4.
ii. Making mention means that Paul did not always pray long, intricate prayers for Philemon, but he did often make mention of Philemon in his prayers.
b. Hearing of your love and faith: Paul thanked God for Philemon because of his love and faith – first towards Jesus and then towards all the saints. The word “saints” in the New Testament describes every true Christian, not just a few exceptional Christians.
c. That the sharing of your faith: Paul prayed for Philemon, desiring that the sharing of his faith would become effective as Philemon understood the work God did in him (every good thing which is in you).
i. This is the foundation for all effective evangelism: the overflow of a life touched and changed by God. God had done every good thing in the life of Philemon. Now, it was a matter of it being acknowledged by both Philemon and those he shared the faith with. When these good things were understood, others would come to Jesus. The reason why some sharing of the faith is not effective is because we don’t know or can’t communicate every good thing God has done for us.
ii. The sharing of your faith: It is possible that Paul means the sharing of material things, prompted by faith. The ancient Greek word for sharing is koinonia, and sometimes Paul used koinonia, which means “fellowship, sharing,” to describe giving (2 Corinthians 8:4; 9:13; Romans 15:26).
iii. “The apostle speaks here of the works of charity in which Philemon abounded toward poor Christians.” (Clarke)
d. Because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother: Paul remembered how wonderfully Philemon had met the needs of other Christians. He effectively refreshed the hearts of others.
B. Paul’s plea on behalf of Onesimus.
1. (8-11) Paul speaks to Philemon regarding Onesimus
Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ—I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.
a. Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal: It is clear that Paul will ask a favor of Philemon. Before he asked, he appealed for love’s sake instead of making a command. Of course, under the surface Paul made it clear that he had the right to command you what is fitting – yet he appealed in love.
i. A loving appeal is often better than an authoritative command. Paul wasn’t hesitant to command when the situation demanded it (1 Corinthians 5:4-5), but in wisdom he knew when to use the loving appeal.
b. Being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ: It was clear Paul would ask a favor of Philemon. Before he asked, he appealed to Philemon’s sympathies by the way he described himself (Paul, the aged) and his circumstances (a prisoner).
i. Since Paul will make his appeal based on love, he does what he can to stir up the loving sympathy of Philemon. “Philemon, before I tell you what I need from you, remember that I’m an old man, and a prisoner at that.”
ii. Some translations have ambassador instead of aged. There is a difference of one letter between the two ancient Greek words.
c. I appeal to you for my son Onesimus: Onesimus was an escaped slave who escaped from his master Philemon. It seems that when Onesimus escaped, he fled to Rome and – intentionally or not – met with Paul. Paul, though under house arrest by the Romans, led Onesimus to faith in Jesus Christ (whom I have begotten while in my chains).
i. It was logical that Onesimus escaped to Rome, the biggest city of the Roman Empire. Lightfoot says, “Rome was the natural cesspool for these offscourings of humanity.” But at his providential meeting of Paul in Rome, Onesimus met the man who had led his master Philemon to Jesus (Philemon 19).
ii. When Paul made this appeal on behalf of Onesimus, he followed deep traditions in Roman culture. There was an ancient Greek law (inherited by the Romans) allowing any escaped slave sanctuary at an altar. The altar could even be the hearth of a private family home; then the head of the family was obligated to give the slave protection while he tried to persuade him to return to his master. If the slave refused, the head of the family would put the slave up for auction and give the price for the slave to the former master. Paul gave Onesimus protection, and now was working the issue out with Philemon.
d. My son Onesimus: Paul often spoke of his converts as his “children.” Timothy (1 Corinthians 4:17), Titus (Titus 1:4), the Corinthian Christians (1 Corinthians 4:14) and the Galatian Christians (Galatians 4:19) were each called Paul’s “children.”
e. Who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me: In some way, Onesimus became profitable to Paul. Perhaps he served as an assistant to Paul during his house arrest. So, Philemon’s runaway slave Onesimus was now unprofitable to Philemon since he had escaped. But he had become profitable to Paul – and by extension, also to Philemon (profitable to you and me). Since Philemon loved Paul, if Onesimus helped Paul he was helping Philemon also.
i. When Paul spoke of Onesimus being unprofitable and profitable, he made a play on a word. The name Onesimus means profitable. Now that he was a Christian, Onesimus could live up to his name
ii. “It is significant to note that Paul claims that in Christ the useless person has been made useful.” (Barclay)
iii. By making this clear to Philemon, Paul gently hinted that he would like to retain the services of this escaped slave – though he would not command Philemon to do this.